EQAL continues to support the following projects: Student Engagement , Analytics , Curriculum Management, Employability, Assessment . . . need to add Teaching & Learning.
Teaching and Learning – rationale for focus:
- The main areas in which MMU lags behind the sector mean are perceptions of ‘quality of teaching’, ‘academic support’ and ‘support for personal development’.
- Curriculum and assessment redesign (via EQAL) were not necessarily matched by changes in ‘delivery’ methods.
- Strong agenda from VC about classroom observation (non-peer) to get a grip on teaching quality – pockets of good practice but low engagement / low impact on (1).
- TPI will address serious quality issues BUT for the scores to really shift we also need to convert ‘ok to good’ and ‘good to great’.
- Alongside this major focus on how teaching impacts on student engagement and retention – need practical, policy driven and cultural shift to achieve ‘belonging’.
AIMS / MMU has clear strategic framework for development, implementation enhancement of Teaching, Learning and Assessment / Staff are supported in, and engaged in, academic professional development to enhance teaching and the student experience / Improved Student Engagement, impacting upon
Retention, Progression and Success
[Working in tandem with PVC Students]
PRODUCTS / •Revised Strategic Framework for Teaching, Learning and Assessment
- Threshold Standards
- ICP for Teaching and Learning
- Staff handbook for pedagogy in programme design and leadership
- Online toolkits for Teaching, Learning and Assessment
•Teaching & pedagogy focus identified in all faculty strategic planning
•ICP for Assessment - guidance materials training in assessment design
•TRAFFIC Project Implementation of good assessment practice, linked to unit / course pedagogy
•Support guidance and resources for effective Moodle and Innovative Pedagogy. / •Recognition and reward (career progression)of teaching quality via PSF / Contribution Zone / RARE project
•Academic staff CPD Policy and Programmes* based on individual, flexible, blended learning:
- Role Career stage (staff lifecycle)
- Students taught (student lifecycle)
- ALs, Lab demonstrators, PhD supervisors
•Strategy for (non-peer) observation and feedback on academic teaching-All staff have objective observation of teaching within one academic year. Observation Toolkit* and staff training. CeLT facilitate between faculties’ nominated link staff.
•Revised structure for faculty based strategic lead on T&L agenda.
•Programme Leaders Network – training and support focused on action planning and implementation of SFLTA / QAA Quality Code
•Academic staff T&L development for
Collaborative Partners(UK and International) / •Inclusion and Diversity / Internationalisation curriculum toolkit and training
•Retention and Success Framework Policy and staff support documentation – using ‘What Works’ as a basis for policy and practice
•Definition of Good Practice forStudent Engagement – (and how to achieve it) sets parameters for teaching staff and programme planning – two key questions:
̵What do we do with students face to face? (Lectures, seminars, tutorials, informal situations etc.)
̵How do we manage their overall experience of learning? (e.g. online, self-directed etc.)
•Personal and Academic Tutoringtoolkit
•Employability Curriculum Framework - support staff training in Pedagogy for Employability
•Support for Placement partners – good practice in T&L and student support.
•Students as Partners – student engagement in and definition of academic excellence and associated capture of feedback on enhancement.
OUTCOMES / Improved student feedback on teaching / Shared understanding of what good teaching looks like.
*System for identifying staff CPD needs, tracking and monitoring engagement and impact, and managing workload issues.
Academic practice (teaching) informed by resource efficiencies and effectiveness of pedagogy.
Strategies to promote and share good practice, within and beyond university via web, publications and sector engagements.
BENEFITS / •Teaching is viewed as high quality in internal and external student surveys.
•Teaching and learning embedded in CMI via regular analytics reports
•Closing loop of unit evaluations / exam board reports / student feedback / action planning
•MMU improves its ranking in comparison with sector median and benchmark group (rank increase of x to be achieved by 20XX)
•Student Voiceis embedded in SFLTA and broad initiatives. / •Academic staff have clear career pathways based on recognition of teaching quality
̵Career progression linked to engagement with HEA / MMU PSF
̵Career Escalator based on teaching
̵Award/Rewards system - SLTF/NTFS/MMU
•Teaching quality and individualneeds identification for development becomes built-in feature of PDRs and setting of CPD objectives.
•MMU can use teaching quality as an indicator to prospective students and their parents.
•Student retention improved as a result of better engagement due to better pedagogy. / •Linking with SPMI to understand impact of policy and regulations on student retention.Y1 to Y2 retention improved by % by 20XX
•Y2 to Y3 retention improved by % by 20XX
•Whole cohort success data
•Good Honours as % of awards increases to x% by 20XX
•Student Voice has appropriate impact on teaching and learning initiatives
•Improved Student Responses in NSS, PTES, ISS, DSB / ISB and Student Voice to Qs on teaching, personal and academic support
QAA Quality Code Chapters
A2: The subject and qualification level / A3: The programme level / A4: Approval and review
A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes
B1: Programme design and approval
B6: Assessment of students and APL
B7: External examining
B8: Programme monitoring and review / QAA Quality Code Chapters
B3: Learning and teaching
B10: Management of collaborative arrangements (note this is the existing version of this Chapter; a revised version is currently available for consultation) / QAA Quality Code Chapters
B4: Student support, learning resources and careers education, information, adviceand guidance
B5: Student engagement
B9: Complaints and appeals